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Robert Sheckley was an eccentric master of the American short story, and his tales, whether set in dystopic city­scapes, ultramodern advertising agencies, or aboard spaceships lighting out for hostile planets, are among the most startlingly original of the twentieth century. Today, as the new worlds, alternate universes, and synthetic pleasures Sheckley foretold become our reality, his vision begins to look less absurdist and more prophetic. This retrospective selection, chosen by Jonathan Lethem and Alex Abramovich, brings together the best of Sheckley’s deadpan farces, proving once again that he belongs beside such mordant critics of contemporary mores as Bruce Jay Friedman, Terry Southern, and Thomas Pynchon.

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Editorial Reviews

From Bookforum

Robert Sheckley wrote tightly crafted, whacked-out social satire in the form of science-fiction stories, using the conceit of future worlds to provide an alienating vantage point on the present. . . . He illuminates standard sci-fi's cutout characters and quasi-magical contraptions with a hallucinatory, Technicolor vibrancy, spinning yarns more fabulist than plausible, banged out as permutations of his own pet obsessions, among them mind control, extraterrestrial psychology, and the cruelties of love. — Ed Halter

Review

“Because Sheckley leavened his darkest visions with wit and aburdist plotting, he is considered one of science fiction’s seminal humorists, a precursor to Douglas Adams.” — The New York Times

"The late Sheckley was known for a dark satirical style that keeps some of the more dated material in this retrospective collection fresh….Editors Lethem and Abramovich provide an insightful introduction but otherwise let the individual stories stand on their own." — Publishers Weekly

"….collection of classic sci-fi stories from the '50s and '60s, which melds the wit of Ray Bradbury with the philosophical undertones of Philip K. Dick….comic and thought-provoking gems." — The Bookseller (UK)

“If the Marx Brothers had been literary rather than thespic fantasists, they would have been Robert Sheckley.” —Harlan Ellison

"Sheckley is my hero" —William Nye

"One of the few acknowledged humorists in SF, and by far the funniest, Sheckley plays with myths the way Mel Brooks plays with classic movies.” —The New York Times Book Review

"Mr. Sheckley—as might be expected of a writer who can wring praise from as diverse a group of peers as Kingsley Amis, Harlan Ellison, John le Carre and J. G. Ballard—has an engagingly madcap manner all his own." —The Wall Street Journal “Sheckley is one of SF’s all-time masters of the humorous or satirical short story. . . . much of Sheckley's work has been hard to come by for a good many years” —Booklist

"Let’s say you are a devoted fan of Kurt Vonnegut’s books, love the sardonic comeuppance stories of John Collier and Roald Dahl, own all of Edward Gorey’s little albums and enjoy watching reruns of 'The Twilight Zone.' Where else can you find similar instances of sly, macabre wit, of such black-humored, gin-and-tonic fizziness in storytelling? The answer may be unexpected: among the many masters of satirical science fiction and fantasy. Robert Sheckley...is certainly a leading example."—Michael Dirda, The Washington Post

Top customer reviews

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This is a collection of short stories by Robert Sheckley -- from the early 50s to the 1970s. The early ones are definitely the best. When they have a twist they are pretty good; the later ones take themselves pretty seriously and Sheckley, maybe in his later years, seems to be trying too hard. His treatment of the social and conversational relations between men and women is definitely dated (no pun intended) and sometimes painfully so. The sociology is mostly cold war and tedious. But the flights of fancy about alien life-forms and other classic sci-fi staples are pretty good and usually amusing. I am a big fan of some of his early collections, especially "Untouched by Human Hands" and "Expedition to Earth", some of whose stories are included in this volume. It's definitely worth the price.

While some may find it puzzling that NYRB Books decided to publish this collection of science fiction stories, a closer look reveals the reasons. Not only did Sheckley adroitly translate contemporary issues of the 1950s into rollicking tales set in space, he did so with an intellectual's methodical approach. On the one hand, he tackled racism, the threat of nuclear war, the rise of mass consumerism, and sexism in a way that was ahead of his time. Yet, he also had a cerebral side fascinated with clashes between competing approaches to language, philosophy, and even love. Now that he has deservedly escaped the pigeonhole of "sci-fi writer," a broader audience will be able to discover his subtly subversive stories.

This is probably the only Sheckley book the casual fan will need. It contains most of his best stories (which were mainly written in the 1950s). At his best, Sheckley came up with ingenious ideas and gimmicks. But his overall writing was just ok (weak characterization and sometimes weak resolutions to intriguing ideas). The quality of his work noticeably declined towards the end of his life. But he definitely wrote some brilliant and enduring short stories.

These stories are so light and stylistically simple that it is like reading air. Despite their appearance of weightlessness, however, they each pack an emotional punch while dealing with universal themes such as love, companionship, life, and death. I enjoyed each and very one of the them. Of particular note, were "The Seventh Victim," "Warm," "Watchbird," "Double Indemnity," "Morning After," "If the Red Slayer," and "The Store of the Worlds." My favorite is "Beside Still Waters." It has beautiful way of connecting the alien with the known. Buyers will not be disappointed by this collection.

It's a pleasure to see anything by Sheckley being republished. In "New Maps of Hell", when Kingsley Amis called Sheckley "...science fiction's premier gadfly....", he meant it as a sincere compliment. Sheckley is not someone you read for memorable characters. His prose is not luminous, merely passable. But his off-kilter ideas stick with you.

My only complaint is that the collection doesn't include more stories. And it's a shame that "The Lifeboat Mutiny" was left out. It has the hallmarks of a 1950's science fiction pulp story. But you won't find a funnier send-up of nanny-state thinking.

The first story in this collection, "The Monsters" is as good an introduction to the writer as I can think of--subversive, smart, and funny. If you don't like it, chances are the other offerings won't appeal to you, either. But you owe it to yourself to try at least a couple more.

I read this collection many years ago and was excited by the freshness of the stories. Returning to it about thirty years later was a refreshing experience. Sheckley's work is highly enjoyable and still fresh today.

A marvelous group of stories from the Golden Age of science fiction. You never know where a Sheckley story is going to go. The stories are diverse and entertaining. I highly recomend this book and author.